As the man charged in the death of 13-year-old Marrisa Shen made his first public court appearance on Friday in downtown Vancouver, sign-waving protests alongside an emotional vigil were taking place outside the courthouse.

Ibrahim Ali, a 28-year-old Syrian refugee, was charged with first-degree murder after his arrest on September 7, more than a year after Shen’s body was discovered in a park in the suburb of Burnaby in July 2017.

Near the courthouse, anti-immigration protesters and members of Canada’s Syrian community and others worried about backlash in the wake of Ali’s arrest gathered, lighting candles and holding placards.

Supporters of the Shen family carried signs and banners reading “No Bail No More Victims”, “We Want Justice” and “Comprehensive Security Screening Now.” They mingled with people fearful of a backlash against immigrants and Muslims.

Among them were Duncan MacLeod and Daniyah Shamshi, who said they were concerned about the division Ibrahim’s case might create.

“As part of the social justice committee from the St. James Church, I’ve worked with a lot of Syrian refugees because I’m an Arabic-speaking person,” MacLeod said. “I will tell you they are concerned, and they’re also showing compassion to the girl and her family.”

Shamshi said the murder charge against Ibrahim may allow people “to take advantage of the situation by pitting multiple marginalised groups against each other”.

Shamshi, a Canadian citizen born in the United Arab Emirates, said she worried that Shen’s murder would give rise to white nationalist and racist sentiments.

“I’m a Canadian citizen with Muslim roots, and despite having all the privileges of being a citizen, I can still experience part of the backlash just due to the colour of my skin,” she said.

Ali arrived in Canada several months before Shen was found dead in Burnaby’s Central Park on July 19, 2017. The daughter of Chinese immigrants, she had been reported missing just hours earlier, after failing to return to her nearby Burnaby home.

Ibrahim reportedly lived with his family not far from Central Park and had come to Canada in March 2017 with the help of a community group and a church.

Superintendent Donna Richardson of the Vancouver homicide investigation team said after the arrest that the case involving Ali, a permanent resident of Canada, was “not related to religious ideology”.